


Meet Me In The Woods

by raynon



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: LARPing, Mikey is non-binary, Werewolf Mystery, ray is trans, tags will be updated with new chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29205762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raynon/pseuds/raynon
Summary: Gerard, Mikey, and Frank run a LARP in the Pine Barrens. Gerard's had a crush on the guy who owns the camp they use for as long they've been running the game, but his game gets put at risk when reports of large wolves invade the woods.
Relationships: Background Frank Iero/Mikey Way, Ray Toro/Gerard Way
Kudos: 3





	Meet Me In The Woods

**Author's Note:**

> i've been really back and forth about putting this fic out there, but it's been sitting in my docs since november, and i thought, fuck it. this fic is for me!!! because i can throw emos in the pine barrens if i want to. i can project my personal experiences into fiction.
> 
> quick glossary:  
> pcs - player characters  
> npcs - non-player characters (i.e. the fightable monsters)  
> mods - battles/other scenes to give the pcs things to do
> 
> freehold was once a real made-up town for a larp that is no longer running. the camp is based on a real new jersey camp, and all the characters mentioned are based on real characters, but with the pcs' names changed. if, for some godforsaken reason you recognize this larp, don't @ me.

The cold night air was full of fog and the angry shouts of battle. Ray took a deep breath after knocking a zombie to the ground, and quickly turned around and swung his glowing sword into the ribs of another one that very loudly ran up behind him. When that one had also fallen, he pushed his wild curls off his face and winced at the growing pain in his thigh. Looking around at the rest of the town’s heroes, he braced himself and trudged on, reaching out to mutter a healing spell to a knight, and running a small distance to strike down another zombie before it attacked one of his friends.

The running didn’t do so well for him, though. Leaning forward for a moment, he groaned, and decided he needed a proper breather. He limped the rest of the way to the treeline circling the field, far enough so that he couldn’t be targeted, and he set his sword down beside him when he leaned up against a tree. “Fuck.”

The leaves crunched on the ground nearby. “Hey...you okay?” a voice whispered.

Ray turned around and let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Yeah...yeah, sorry. This is fucking awesome, Mikey. I just--”

“Oh, shit. Your leg.” The loose bracelets on Mikey’s wrists jangled as they gently placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder. “Did someone hit you there? I can talk to ‘em.”

Ray shook his head. “No, it’s not that, but thanks. I just usually don’t run around this hard.”

Mikey chewed on their lip. “Need your cane?”

He shook his head again. “The battle should be over soon, right?”

Mikey peered back onto the battlefield, seeking out the two figures with LED eyes, then pulled their phone out of a belt pouch. “I’d say...should be another ten minutes. But don’t push yourself. It’s okay to go back to the inn.”

Ray straightened his posture, and rolled his neck. “I’ll be okay.” When he looked back to the field, the fog had cleared up a little, making it easier to see everyone. He smiled again, and picked the sword back up.

“Okay. Stick by me, Whitefang, I’ll make sure you don’t lose any lives out there.” Mikey winked and twirled their axe before stepping back out into the action.

Ray followed and made sure Mikey’s character took as few hits as possible while they threw healing spells at as many people as they could.

“Jade!” someone shouted from a few feet away. “Sir Ryland got possessed again!”

Mikey threw their head back with a groan. “Not my problem right now!” Their eyes widened when the two figures with the eyes started to flank them and Ray. With a closer inspection, they both wore armor made of bones with shredded tabards over them, their faces painted like cracked skulls.

“We got fresh meat over here,” one of them hissed, pointing a sword at Ray, and the shorter one cackled before running in to strike.

“Heroes! To me!” Mikey called out to anyone who could hear. The battle became a lot more condensed, all of a sudden, weapons swinging everywhere. Mikey clutched to Ray’s arm to make sure he didn’t get trapped, though it was difficult to protect him from one of the skeletons attacking.

Both Ray and Mikey were knocked down in the process. Thankfully, both the skeletons were mobbed by others and taken down quickly afterward, and the taller skeleton set his sword down on the ground. “Hold!”

All fighting stopped immediately, and everyone took a knee.

The taller skeleton turned his eyes off and stood back up. “The necromancers Gideon and Amadeus Vard have been defeated! The halved death count curse has been lifted from everyone.” There was a pause where everyone cheered. “Everyone who’s still possessed, though, are still under that effect. Everyone got that? Cool, 3, 2, 1, game on!”

Mikey sighed and turned to Ray with an exhausted smile. “Just chill here until we get revived. The bosses are gonna get looted, and then we can head back.”

Ray leaned back with his arms supporting him from behind, and he hissed. “Thanks,” he said. When a spell was cast on him, though, he didn’t get up.

“Felix?” Mikey used his character name as they stood and brushed themself off. “You good?”

Ray grunted. “Yeah, just need a second.”

The taller skeleton finally got back up and pulled his LEDs off, stepping closer to Ray. “Hey, are you hurt?”

Ray inhaled sharply, trying not to draw too much attention. “Could you, uh, just help me up please?”

He nodded and grabbed Ray’s arm, and got him back on his feet. “You can lean on me if you need to.”

“Thanks, Gee.” Ray smiled, slinging his arm over Gerard’s shoulder. “I’m sorry ‘bout this, but that fight was seriously cool. And you made this armor yourself?” he asked when they were far enough away from everyone else.

Gerard was both very thankful that he had a decent excuse for his face being so flushed, and guilty for blushing so hard when all he was trying to do was help Ray walk back to the inn. “Uh, no. Frankie did. I mean, I helped paint it, but he did the actual construction of it.”

“Wow. Dude, I never really realized how talented you guys are.” Ray took another deep breath, pushing his hair back.

Gerard shrugged. “It’s nothing too big. Frankie and I have been working on this game for 2 years already, as you’re already aware, and it’s fun to make weird shit for people to fight.”

When they returned to the inn, a giant furbished cabin, Gerard opened the door for them and helped him back to the farthest door at the end of the hall, helped him into the new room, and set him down in a padded chair.

Ray sighed hard and leaned back in the chair. “Thanks again for helping me. Are you sure I didn’t, uh, mess anything up?”   
  
Gerard shook his head with a smile. “Nah, dude. Frank’s covering giving out loot to people. Oh. Uh...don’t tell anyone, but here.” He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a card, and read it over before offering it to Ray. “Lucky you! You got a piece of bone armor.”

Ray’s brow knotted. “But I didn’t search you for it.”   
  
Gerard swallowed. “Y-yeah, I know. But I can let it slide this time. You did fight really hard and stuck it out ‘till the end.”

Ray pressed his lips together, then nodded and took the card. “Thanks.” He stared down at it, then stuck it in one of his pouches.

The door opened again, and Mikey stepped back in. “Hey, you alright? I, uh, can’t stay long because feast’s about to be served, but I told the NPCs just to be careful of their swings. Y’know, orange arm bands mean that someone’s out-of-game injured and everything.”

“Thanks, Mikey.” Gerard nodded to them. “Ray’s holding up well, though. Could...could you set aside a plate for him, please?”

Mikey nodded. “Of course. I can just bring it back here.” They disappeared behind the door again.

“Your brother’s pretty cool,” Ray said as he wiped some sweat off his face, only to regret it a second later. “Oh, shit, my paint.”

Gerard giggled. “I can fix it later, if you want.” He grabbed a baby wipe off his tech table and scrubbed the skull paint off his own face, and turned his LED eyes off.

Ray took a deep breath and sat up straighter, rubbing over his thigh to soothe it. “Yeah. If you got time, I know you got a lot to do tonight.”

Gerard shrugged. “Yeah, but--” He was cut off when Frank opened the side-door leading to the back porch, and he jumped slightly.

“Dude, we need to give Bob another fucking talk, he still needs to watch his swings. I got three complaints--” Frank started, then saw Ray sitting there. “Oh. Hey, you okay?”

Ray smiled awkwardly. “Yeah. D’you need me to get out of here? I don’t wanna interrupt anything.”

Frank shrugged and tossed half his bone armor off to throw on his cot. “It can wait. Did Mikey take a look at you?”

Ray blinked. “Oh. I’m not, like,  _ super _ hurt or anything. This is normal for me.”

Frank nodded. “Okay. I’m just saying, they’re our official on-site medic. If you do need help.”

“I appreciate it, thanks. I’m just gonna--” Ray took another breath and used the back of the chair as leverage as he stood again, groaning as he lightly stretched his leg. He bent over slightly and exhaled hard.

Gerard’s face flushed a deep red as he turned away. Frank bit back a grin as he watched Gerard.

When Ray stood up straight again, he exhaled. “That’s a little better. I’m, uh...you don’t have to answer this if it gives too much away, but is there gonna be anything else cool going on the rest of the night?”

Frank scratched the back of his head. “Uh, I mean...we always got cool shit goin’ on. But I wouldn’t say anything that you, like,  _ can’t _ miss, if that makes sense.”

Ray hummed as he thought. “Okay, I think I’m just gonna take my meds with dinner and see how I feel from there.” His smile grew. “Thanks again for helping me out, Gee.”

Gerard grinned, lowering his face. “My pleasure, Ray.” When Ray left the room again, he could feel Frank’s snarky grin pointed at him. “You say one fucking word--”

_ “My pleasure, Ray!” _ Frank parroted at him with a fake swoon. “You’re so cute, when are you gonna ask him out, huh?”

“Dude.” Gerard threw a towel at his face. “Shut up, he could still be in the hallway.”

“All the better, I say.” Frank wiped his face off with a deep sigh, then grabbed a ‘Do Not Enter’ sign off Gerard’s table so he could stick it to the other side of the door. They needed a few minutes to breathe and unwind after the battle before they were bombarded with inevitable character and loot questions.

  
  
  


Ray sat on a wooden bench aligning the wall of the bathroom, surrounded by other players’ facepaint palettes and costumes. He’d slid his pants off for the time being and gently rubbed his thumbs in tiny circles over scar tissue embedded deep in his thigh.

When the door opened again, someone stepped in and handed Ray a pill bottle. “This is it, right?” he asked. “It was the only one I could find, anyway.” He was dressed in mostly black, a sleeveless knee-length coat with the sleeves cut off with a black and grey striped shirt under it.

“Yeah. Thanks, Gabe.” Ray smiled at him and tapped two out to dry swallow.

Gabe only glanced down at his leg, but he didn’t say anything about it. “Um, Mikey said that they got dinner set aside for you. It’s just in the kitchen, if you want.”   
  
Ray nodded. “Awesome.” After a deep breath, he stood up and pressed a hand on the wall to lean over a little and get his pants back up. Sliding his pills in his pocket, he stood up straight again and stretched his back out.

“You sure you’re good?” Gabe asked, gently touching Ray’s shoulder.

“Yeah. You’re really kind for lookin’ out for me, thanks again.” He grabbed his cane from beside him and approached the mirror to glance himself over. He heard Gerard’s voice in the back of his mind offering to fix his makeup, but he didn’t want to bother him. Besides, when he left the bathroom with Gabe by his side, he noticed that there was a line in front of the staff room door now, so he’d probably be up to his head in answering rules questions once that sign came off the door.

When he approached the main inn area, he stopped at the kitchen door right off the entrance. “Hey, Jade,” he said with a little wave, remembering he was back in game.

“Felix! You’re looking better.” Mikey grinned. They set their serving spoon down and handed him a plate of roast chicken and mashed potatoes. “There’s salad on the side table if you want.”

“Oh, thanks! Did you make this?” Ray asked.

“Nah, I had tons of help. As much as I’d love to make food and keep everyone’s asses from getting kicked on the battlefield, I’m just one innkeeper.” Mikey smiled, nudging Ray’s side softly. “Go sit down before I have to yell at you.”

Ray smiled as he lowered his head, and moved further into the inn proper and sat next to Gabe.

“You, uh, want me to fix your paint for you?” Gabe offered.

Ray shrugged. “I dunno. It’s already 11PM, I can still be in character if my face is a little fucked up. But thanks for offering.”

“Your face is far from fucked up.” Gabe rested his chin in his palm.

Ray blinked, and he felt his face warm. “Sir Ryland...” He chuckled and turned back to his dinner. “Cut it out, we’re not even from the same kingdoms.”

“But that’s the fun of Freehold! All different types of people from all kingdoms and tribes travel here, and we can be friends with whoever we want.” Gabe shrugged with a soft grin.

Ray smiled back. “Yeah, no better way to make new friends than fighting scary monsters together, right?”

“That’s the spirit.” Gabe made a finger-gun at him.

The light, quiet conversations of the room were suddenly cut off with a harsh scream, and everyone turned back to Mikey. They were trapped in the arms of a creature with bright pink fur and a white porcelain mask, a bright smile painted on it. Everyone except for Ray immediately perked up. “Lola!” they shouted gleefully. Mikey huffed and nudged them off their body.

Ray turned back to Gabe and whispered. “Who’s Lola?”

“Lola’s sort of like a prophet, except they don’t really talk. Just kinda leads us down weird paths to show us whatever cool thing they found,” he explained. “And those things always relate to the theme of next moon. Like a little teaser, y’know?”

Ray nodded with a quiet hum. “Cool.” As everyone else seemed to get up and either follow them outside or round up everyone else from the sleeping areas, he side-stepped to Mikey. “You good?”

“Yeah, Lola just loves sneaking up on people.” Mikey rolled their eyes and smoothed their dress out. “Just lemme grab my coat, I’ll meet you on the porch.”

Ray pat them gently on the back and followed Gabe outside. He watched as other players chased Lola around off the porch, running in wide circles.

Lola did a few cartwheels, and eventually settled for crouching on a picnic bench closeby until enough people were gathered around. They bounced back up, arms raised high in the air before jumping back off the table and running off into the deeper woods, turning back every so often to watch everyone. They took the path to the field where the main battle was, then hopped down a path in the back, where the treeline only made things darker.

Ray took a deep breath and stayed in the back of the group with Mikey in close proximity. As he walked, he could hear snarling off the path and tensed, glancing around. Mikey played along, whispering a light spell as he clicked a small flashlight on.

“Be wary, heroes!” Mikey warned the others up front.

Just as they said that, Lola leaped and tumbled into the bushes and disappeared. A few PCs immediately tried to follow them, only to be met with two NPC wolves jumping back out at them.

Three more jumped out from the back, and Mikey immediately stepped in front of Ray with their ax drawn. “You good to fight?” they asked.

Ray’s blood went cold. The wolf masks were pretty good quality, he had to admit, but he knew he didn’t have too much time to think. At the same time, something sour in the pit of his gut festered, and he took a step back.

“Felix?” Mikey asked, but they got hit waiting for the answer, so they started swinging back. Gabe stepped up to help them.

Ray gasped for breath with a hand over his chest, turning to watch Lola re-appear on the back of someone with stilts on all four limbs, and a full wolf suit. The players laughed a little as they fought, but Ray stumbled away from the fight. His chest only got tighter, and he shook his head. “Fuck,” he muttered to himself, then turned and ran for his house just beyond the parking lot.

Mikey stopped for a second, as did the NPC they were fighting to watch him, then they turned back to glance at Lola. It seemed they didn’t notice. Pete lifted his mask, but Mikey shook their head. “Stay in game,” they said and gently guided them to fight a PC. They walked out of the battle area to the short fence that divided the parking lot from Ray’s yard. Pulling their phone out, they called Ray up, not wanting to intrude.

After four rings, Ray picked up. “Mikey?” he croaked.

“You okay, dude?” Mikey asked with worry.

Ray huffed. “M’sorry for running off like that. Um, I think I’m done for the night, thanks for an awesome game.”

“Oh. Cool.” Mikey’s mouth twisted. “Okay, well, you know if you need anything...just let us know. Sleep well.” The call ended pretty quickly, but they stood there for another minute. For someone whose leg was bothering him so much, he sure got out of there pretty fucking quickly.

“Jade!” Mikey heard being echoed across the field, and they huffed and ran back into battle. They made it just in time for the last few wolves to be beaten off, and the PCs that were still standing all chided Lola for leading them into a fight. Mikey just stayed quiet and casted healing spells on everyone who was down.

Lola’s shoulders sagged, covering their face with their hands with a quiet sob. It was enough to turn the players’ feelings around and hug them in forgiveness.

Mikey snorted. “Alright, good job everyone. Head on back to the inn and get some sleep,” they told them and watched as everyone walked off until just the NPCs were left.

Gerard removed the Lola mask and took a deep breath. “...Everything okay?” he asked, his brow knotted in worry.

Mikey shrugged. “I guess. Um, Ray went over to his house, he wanted me to tell you goodnight and thanks for an awesome weekend.”

Gerard’s face fell, and he glanced in the direction of Ray’s house. “Oh...” he exhaled, but perked back up. There were still other people around, in the near distance. “Yeah, that’s good. I’m glad he had a good time.”

Mikey patted Gerard’s fuzzy pink shoulder. “C’mon, all our mods are done for the night. We can finally fucking sleep.” They watched as the NPCs all approached them. “Go on and take your costumes off, guys, we’ll see you in the morning.”

Gerard’s eyes still stuck to the house at first, but he turned up to the dark, cloudy sky above them. “We should get back, too.” He tapped Mikey’s back and headed back to the staff room, shedding Lola’s costume off and hanging up on the curtain pole above his cot.   
  
Frank rolled over. “I heard Mikey scream from all the way back here,” he muttered, but he grinned. “Good job, Gee.”   
  
Mikey threw a balled-up sock at Frank’s head. “Fuck you.” They took a baby wipe and scrubbed at their face messily, then dressed down to their boxers and crawled under Frank’s blankets to curl up against his back. “Go back to sleep.”

Frank chuckled, then turned back to Gerard. “So how did the mod go?”

Gerard laid down on his back, tapping his fingers against his chest. “As well as expected, I guess,” he muttered, staring at the ceiling. “They know what they’re fighting next month, so mission accomplished.”

Frank propped his head up on his hand and rubbed an eye. “You seem spaced. Did something happen?”

Gerard shrugged. “No, it’s just 1AM. Tired.”

“Alright, dude.” Frank shrugged. “Well, try to sleep a little bit. You know how much Sundays suck ass when you don’t sleep.”

“I’m not drivin’ home tomorrow,” Mikey chimed in.

Gerard rolled his eyes. “Goodnight,” he said firmly, and proceeded to not sleep well at all. He laid there for the first five hours, drifting in and out of consciousness until he could see the sky lighten up out the window. Groaning to himself, he got out of bed, tossed sweatpants and a hoodie on, and walked out to the parking lot for a cigarette.

As he sat on the hood of his van, he stared at Ray’s house. He didn’t know which one was his bedroom window, or if said window was even facing in this direction. Seeing that it was only 7:30, he dared not go knock on the door. He knew hardly anyone else was up, save for the few stragglers that wanted to get an early start on getting home. He waved them off as they got in their cars, until fellow early-riser Bert invited himself to sit beside Gerard on the hood with a paper cup as an offering.

Bert lit up a cigarette as well. “I’m gonna tell Frankie you slept like shit,” he said proudly.   
  
Gerard was tempted to shove Bert off the hood, but he just took a long, irritated drag and stewed in his contemplation. “Why don’t you go do a spacket run for me, asshole?”

“Yeah, yeah. I will.” Bert didn’t move just yet. “Can’t trail smoke, though, can I?”

“You’re lucky you brought me coffee.” Gerard, an unironically yet shamefully don’t-speak-to-me-before-I’ve-had-coffee type of person, glared hard at Bert. He was easy to calm, though, he knew Bert was only being Bert. “What do you want, anyway?”

Bert shrugged. “Wanted to start early, I guess. You know how much I hate when we’re stuck here until late afternoon, and this month’s supposed to be a relatively easy cleanup.”

Gerard took a long sip. “Yeah. It’s a mutual feeling.” He downed the rest of it, a thin stream spilling out the corner of his lips, then he crushed the empty cup and stood again. “C’mon, help me at least clean up some extension cords off the field.”

Bert didn’t move off the hood. “Yeah, will do.”   
  
Gerard opened his driver’s side door, then rolled his eyes. “Alright, well...don’t move, or else.” He started the car up and drove it slowly to the edge of the main battlefield with Bert as his delighted hood ornament, and pressed hard on the brakes so he fell and tumbled into the grass. Gerard snorted in amusement and parked the car, then tossed a tote out onto the field from the trunk so they could get to work.

As the sun continued to rise, more people got up and started cleaning the camp. Gerard spent most of his morning collecting lights and parts of his sound system, tucking them safely away in the back of his van. Mikey and Frank eventually checked in with him, and he followed Frank down to the basement; that was usually the most difficult place to clean, but at least Ray always allowed the group to safely store away costumes and props until the next month.

By the time everyone, save for the staff and close friends like Gabe and Pete, left the camp, Gerard took an extra examination of the inn to make sure there weren’t any left over paint scuffs on the walls, and that the main sleeping area didn’t smell like acrid nerd funk. He returned to the inn proper, circling around to spot Mikey through the serving window.

“Hey, uh--” Gerard stepped up to Mikey. “Have you seen Ray around?”

Mikey stopped wiping the kitchen counter for a moment and shook their head. “Did you text him recently?”

Gerard’s chest went a little tight. “Uh, yeah. ‘Bout an hour ago, but I still haven’t heard anything yet.” He scratched at a small spot on the counter, biting his tongue. “D’you think it’s creepy to go up to his house?”

Mikey thought it over, taking longer than Gerard would have preferred, then they shook their head. “I mean, you have to return the keys to him anyway, right? Just, you know. Be cool about it.”

“I can be cool.” Gerard frowned.

Mikey scoffed. “Around Ray?”

“I  _ can. _ And I will.” Gerard pulled the keys out of his pocket and twirled the ring around his index finger, only for it to slip off the top and fall noisily to the floor. Gerard eyed Mikey. “Not a word.”

Mikey shrugged and continued scrubbing.

When he picked the keys back up, he hurried out of the building and down the path, passed the parking lot and over the short chainlink fence. When he approached Ray’s house, he took a deep breath and clutched the keys in his hand. He stepped up on the front steps and knocked on the door. After sixteen seconds, nothing. Gerard swallowed and knocked again, more timidly in hopes that he doesn’t sound too hasty, and waited twenty-eight more seconds. Still nothing. 

Gerard leaned back against the railing on the steps, and he pulled his phone out anxiously, twirling it in his hand a moment before opening his contacts.

Gerard stared down at Ray’s name, swallowed hard, then called him. Voicemail. He hung up, then cursed at himself, and called again to get voicemail again. “Hi...Ray. It’s Gerard, uh, I dunno if you’re asleep or anything, which is cool. Um, I’m just gonna leave your keys in your mailbox, if that’s okay? Just...text me or whatever just to make sure you got them okay.” He sighed with his eyes shut tight. “Thanks a lot for coming to the game this month. It was really great to have you around.” When he hung up again, he cursed under his breath and held onto the keys a bit longer. The least he could do was lock the camp up for him.

When he hopped off the front steps, he turned to look at the side of the house. His head tilted when he noticed how torn-up the grass was, and he stepped up closer to it. Not that Gerard was keeping track of Ray’s lawn care, he wasn’t  _ that _ creepy, but the grass around his backyard was absolutely freshly torn up. He swore he saw scratch marks in the dirt, and did his best not to tread on them. He didn’t want to call Ray again, so he went for a text this time.

_ sorry 2 bother u again-- i think an animal got in2 ur yard. i hope ur doin ok. _

He still felt weird about the text, but at least it got the message across. When he finally returned to the inn, everyone else was mainly meandering on or around the front porch, with their packed cars pulled up on the path leading up to it. All eyes turned back to him, which didn’t help in the slightest. He stood up straighter. “So everything’s all clean?” he asked to fill the silence. “Basement’s empty?”

“Yep,” Frank answered, leaning on Mikey’s back with his chin on their shoulder.

“Paths are clear? There aren’t any spackets or arrows left on the ground?” Gerard asked next.

“Triple-checked.” Bert nudged a trash bag beside him with his foot.

Gerard nodded. “And someone checked all the tents?”

“I got the stuff that was left behind,” Pete lazily waved around a sword that wasn’t his.

Gerard sighed. “Good job. Um, I tried seeing if Ray was home, but he wasn’t answering, so I’m just gonna lock up for him. Everyone else can head off to my house if you wanna help me and Mikey unpack, Mikey, meet me in the parking lot.”

Once they’d all left for the parking lot, Gerard locked the front doors of the inn. He stopped when he heard a faint echo. Some sort of far-off growl. He turned back to Mikey, and by the look on their face, Gerard didn’t just imagine the noise.

“Well, it’s a good thing we just got everyone off-camp,” Mikey said with a half-smile.

Gerard swallowed. “What do you think it is?”

“Maybe a puma or something. Gabe said he saw one once beyond the land bridge, but it just sorta fucked off when it saw him.” Mikey tapped Gerard’s shoulder. “Let’s finish locking up and get outta here. I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, could you just drive the van out beyond the gate?” Gerard started walking as Mikey got in the driver’s seat, and he waited for the van to roll up. Once the gate was pulled shut, he put the chain and padlock back in place, then returned to Ray’s mailbox and tossed the keys in.

Mikey and Gerard switched places again so Gerard could drive, and he took a deep breath. “I’m worried about Ray,” Gerard admitted. “Usually, he at least sees us off before we leave.”

“He’s got a good excuse, I’m sure. Might be a family emergency.” Mikey started playing with the radio. “S’okay, Gee. He had a good time, he told me last night.”

“I know.” Gerard slowly drove down the path leading to the main road. “I won’t worry so much.”

“Yeah--” Mikey turned to stare out the window, when he saw something large run between the trees. “Oh, holy shit, that thing is big.”   
  
Gerard glanced out Mikey’s side, only catching a glimpse before the thing disappeared. “Was that the thing we heard?” He stopped right before the road, and caught one more flash of something massive in his rearview mirror before it disappeared.

Mikey bit their lip. “Let’s just get outta here.” They pressed their forehead against the window and watched as they passed the woods by.


End file.
